Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-08-18
LELAND STANFORD.
His Case Argued Before the
Supreme Court.
THE COMMISSIONS COMPLAINT.
counsel for the Railroad Says
that the Investigation IL
Illegal and Unfair.

Associated Press Dispatches nv the HERALD
SAN FRANCISCO, August 17.-Argu~
msnt was commenced to-day before
Supreme Justice Field and Judges
Sawyer, Hoffman and Sabin, in the
Uniesh States Circuit Court, in the
case OF the Pacific Railroad Commits
sion. asking that Senator Lel5ad STAN
ford be required to show cause why
he should not be compelled to answer
certaiM questions of the commission in
regard 10 the expenditure of furals for
the purpose of influencing Legislation.
sTAspoRIo's REPLY INADEQUATE.
United States Attorney Carey rsain-
tained that the answer of Stanford
which WAS filed yesterday was made
quate, and that the question to- be
settled blythe court was whether Con-
gress Itself had any right to examine
into the adhirs- of the company. He
argued that the act of Congress Great
ling the commission called for an en-
tire expose-of the ccmpany's doings in
lOrder that hmight he ascertained if
any of the earnings of the company
had been used wrongfully.
CONC noR THE COMMISSION.
Railroad counsels said that the ground
upon which the company stood was that
the inquiry oSthe railway commission iss
uncalled for and unjust and an un-
plIncipled inquisition INTO the private
Affairs of a private corporation, and
the court couiH not use any measures
to compel the presidents of the road to
answer.
PROBABLY NOTHING TO EXPOSE.
Counsel continued: We do not fall
back on the right of Senator Stanford
torefuse to answer on the ground that
he would Grim mate himself. We do
not say that AIRY criminality would be
exposed if he answered truly. Our
refusal rests ON the question of human
rights and individual rights.
CIVILIZATION, AmENKED.
To hold this star chamber investi-
gatiorand to allow this commission
to act as they have undertaken to act
is to undermine the principles of civil
lied nations and revert to the DAYS of
barbarism.
DO you mean to say, then, that the
work ofsthe conpnission Iis mconstitu-
tionaf ?" said Judge Holman.
Exactly" replied the counsel.
POSTPONED UNTIL MONDAY.
JustiBField suade ara order allowing
both parties until Monday to file
briefs.
COTTON Ys. srSsFoRD.
George r. b. Hays. counsel for
Mrs. Ella M. Golton,- in the case of
Cotton VS.. Stamford ed AL, appeared
with the correspondence between G.
Z. Huntingdon and ID. u. Cotton,
whiclAtne ComfRission had previously
requested to haze produced, but an in
junction issued by the, United States
Circuit Court vos served ON Hays i'm
mediately, restraining him from PROF.
ducing the correspondence.
A9SAPPEAL. TO THE PRESIDENT.
By order Oil the Pacific Railroad I
Commission, SG6venerP Pattison, chair
man, to-day sent siie. following dis
patchlto President Cleveland: "Two,
suits are pending i'm the United States
Court of this district involving the
rlghtDf this commission to examine
witnesses concerning the payment of
moaey to infhenoelhgislation.
INRTEuCTIofSs, REQUESTED.
As we are under your immediate
objection wo respectfully request your
Judgment as to whether or not we
should employ counsel to assist the
District Attorney Oar judgment is
tnat we should. Please answer.